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Education
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StreetSmarts SM

Let’s blow up the internet!

[Editor's Note: Please welcome dynamic industry veteran Allen Dave Burney had been selling copiers and I had tried dif-
Kopelman, who will pen this column for the coming year. After Nick ferent things, from working at my father’s clothing store
Cucci's excellent, accessible coverage of many practical aspects of sell- in South Florida to serving as executive chef at a Dallas
ing merchant services and running a payments business, Allen will bring hotel chain. My experiences as an entrepreneur inspired
a renewed focus on interaction into the mix. We very much appreci- me to join the payments industry in 1998 and help other
ate Nick's presentation of useful information in a friendly way. It's no business owners.
wonder that when Fluid Pay relocated from Illinois to Tennessee Nick's Zooming in
employees and colleagues came right along. We expect Allen's incisive
wit and comprehensive industry knowledge will keep you entertained, When I began podcasting, I looked for topics that busi-
informed, challenged and inspired. We hope you'll join him in making nesspeople were searching for online, topics like crypto,
some useful waves while reaching for your grandest professional goals] digital payments and changing winds on Capitol Hill,
that can have a great impact on business owners. Here,
By Allen Kopelman in this column, I’d like to get your take on the future of
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. payments and how we can make the most of emerging
trends, technologies and customer behaviors to grow and
ow that I have your attention, let me say I’m prosper with our merchants, partners and industry.
honored to serve as your Street Smarts
SM
columnist, following in the footsteps of some I invite you to join some lively and informal discussions
N great writers and payments industry icons. here in The Green Sheet, in person at conferences and
I’m only half-kidding when I say let’s blow things up online in our Facebook Group – “B2B Vault,” where we
because I’d like to do some live streaming over the next 12 will be featuring live panel sessions and interactive we-
months. Let’s make this a place to hang out, network and binars. Join our B2B Vault Community at www.facebook.
learn from each other. com/groups/1944853285718548 and let us know what top-
ics you’d like to explore. We value your input on trending
My 20-plus years in payments inspired me to launch B2B topics and feedback.
Vault: the Biz to Biz Podcast, in 2021. The show initially ex-
plored emerging payment technology trends but soon On our Facebook page, I will post a question every month.
evolved into broader discussions about the future of busi- Your responses and reactions will form the basis for this
ness and policies that impact small and midsize business column and drive further discussions here and online.
owners, my target audience. We will also host events on Facebook and LinkedIn where
experts can share opinions on a range of topics and event
Before we founded Nationwide Payment Systems in 2001, planners can discuss upcoming events.
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